Development and Refinement of the Argos Diver-Held Magnetic Gradiometer

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The Argos diver-held magnetic graditometer was initially conceived during the Lost Ships of Cortes (LSOC) Project in Villa Rica Mexico in 2018. Using a new method of determining the Total Magnetic Gradient (TMI), it allowed (in 2019 and 2020) the detection and recovery of multiple iron artifacts in a challenging environment where other methods had proved insufficient. This was the initial raw, unrefined form of the device. In the four years since initial concept, Argos has evolved refinements that enhance its ability to detect and measure the TMI, and communicate target information to the operator, making it a versatile tool to ground truth targets detected by other remote-sensing means. Results from case studies will be presented, including its use during the NOAA Proposed Great Lakes National Marine Sanctuary Surveys in Lake Ontario in 2021.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2023

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow